“That sounds fascinating.”
“It is,” he said with a bob of his head. “We recently acquired a Gutenberg Bible. It dates back to the 1450s when it was first printed by Johannes Gutenberg. The historical significance of this book is just profound.”
“I have no doubt that it would be a prize in anyone’s collection.”
“I am also a member of the Society of Antiquaries,” he shared. “It is for gentlemen who have a passion for relics of the past, and I assure you that the interest is vast.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, in fact, I have written articles for many publications, including the morning newspapers.”
“That is an impressive feat.”
“It is a shame that you haven’t read them, since you are a woman and probably don’t read the morning newspapers.” He frowned. “Do you?”
“I do not.”
Lord Charles glanced at the open door, then said, “I would prefer it if we could start over and just pretend that this conversation never happened.”
Hannah gave him a reassuring smile. “There is no need,” she replied. “I find your frankness refreshing.”
“You do?”
“I do.”
He gave her a timid smile. “I must admit that I find myself rather nervous around you, and I can’t help but ramble on.”
“Why is that?”
“You are generally surrounded by admirers,” he said, then admitted, “I haven’t had the courage to approach you since our introduction.”
“I wish you would have,” she replied. “You were an impressive dance partner.”
He chuckled. “I wish my sister, Emma, could hear you say that.”
“Why do you say that?”
“My mother insists that I dance with her at home, because she is a terrible dancer,” he said, lowering his voice.
“Surely you jest.”
He shook his head. “I do not exaggerate,” he replied. “Are you acquainted with Emma?”
“I am,” she responded. “I have met her on a few occasions, and I have found her to be quite pleasant.”
“I’m afraid she is rather eager to marry this Season.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Lord Charles’s eyes grew wide. “I should have never said anything to you.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you are a matchmaker,” he said.
“I am, but I assure you that your secret is safe with me.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Can we start over?”
She laughed and brought her hand up to her mouth. “Again?”
“Perhaps I should ask about you,” he said. “It would be much simpler.”
“What do you wish to know?”
“Let’s start off with an easy question.” He paused. “What is your favorite dessert?”
She pressed her lips together as she pondered his question thoughtfully. “That is a tough one, because I have yet to find a dessert that I don’t like.”
“I see that you and I are similar in that regard.”
“I am happy to hear that.”
“Perhaps, if you have no objections, I could call upon you tomorrow,” he said. She wasn’t quite sure, but it almost appeared as if he was holding his breath in anticipation of her response.
She smiled. “I would like that.”
“Truly?” he asked, taking a small step closer to her.
Almost immediately, the sound of someone loudly clearing his throat could be heard over the noise in the ballroom. Hannah shifted her gaze and saw Martin leaning against the door frame, a stern look on his face.
She offered him a cordial smile, despite her annoyance at being interrupted. “Is there a problem, Lord Egleton?”
“I just stepped onto the veranda for some fresh air,” he replied.
“Is that so?”
Martin straightened from the doorway. “Would you care for me to escort you back inside?”
“That won’t be necessary, but I thank you for the offer.”
To her great annoyance, Martin approached them and stopped next to her. “It is a lovely night, is it not?”
“It is,” she agreed.
He glanced up at the moon before saying, “I have always found it fascinating that the moon appears to be so close to us, but yet it is so far away.”
“Indeed,” Lord Charles said. “I hadn’t realized you were interested in astronomy.”
“I’m not,” Martin replied as he brought his gaze down to meet Lord Charles’s. “I shall ensure Miss Blackmore is returned to her sister.” His tone brooked no argument.
Lord Charles’s brow went up, but he wisely did not disagree. He gave Hannah a stiff bow and departed without saying another word.
Hannah turned to face Martin and kept her voice low. “Well, that was unfathomably rude.”
With a nod, Martin said, “I would agree, but you shouldn’t be too hard on Charles—”
She cut him off. “He wasn’t the rude one, you were.”
“Me?” he repeated back. “In what way?”
“We were having a delightful conversation, and you interrupted us,” Hannah stated. “What right did you even have to dismiss him?”
“I was ensuring that you were properly chaperoned.”
Hannah turned her attention towards the ballroom and saw Edward and Kate watching them with expressions of mild amusement. “There was no need,” she asserted. “I was in full view of my sister and brother-in-law at all times.”
“Perhaps, but it was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.”
She pursed her lips together. “There was no risk, especially not with Lord Charles.”
He huffed. “You are much more naïve than I gave you credit for.”
“Pardon?”
“Not all men you associate with are good and kind,” he argued. “You must be wary of the fortune hunters and rakes and their traps and snares.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Are you insinuating that Lord Charles is not as honorable as I have been led to believe?”
“No, I am just urging you to be cautious,” he said. “I would hate for you to be forced into an unwanted marriage.”
“I can assure you that won’t happen.”
He took a step closer to her. “You are innocent in so many ways, and I am worried that you are rushing into matrimony.”
“I know perfectly well what I am doing.”
His eyes roamed her face as he said, “I hope you aren’t doing this because you fear you will end up as a spinster. There are far worse things than being alone.”
Hannah’s lips parted as she stared up at him in disbelief. How dare he say something so ludicrous
